Recent Commentaries

Failure to honor the dead was considered horrible in Israel, so loud wailing was common at funerals. Paid mourners, usually women, cried and mourned loudly. Amos said there would be so many funerals that there would be a shortage of professional mourners, so farmers would be ca …

We are introduced to Deborah, the prophetess, the fourth judge, and the only woman judge, who lived in central Palestine. For 20 years the Canaanites oppressed Israel and God raised up this prophetess to lead the way to victory (vv. 1-7). Associated with her was Barak, a military leader …

It is sometimes helpful to pick out certain verses of a biblical passage which summarize in concise terms what the passage is all about. The phrase that, perhaps, best summarizes this entire letter is “Wage the good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience” (vv. 1 …

In his third speech, Elihu attempted to refute Job’s argument that righteousness avails nothing. Job had claimed to have done no wrong and that he was righteous before God, but that had made no difference (vv. 1-3). In other words, he would have been just as well off, had he …

The Lord told Moses to say to Israel (vv. 1-2): If you ever want to free someone, you may do so by paying different amounts (vv. 3-7). If you have promised to give someone to me and can’t afford to pay the full amount you will be taken to a priest who will decide how much you ca …

This passage is an extensive quotation of the first l5 verses of Psalm l05 (vv. 7-22). Four elements of thanksgiving are found in this song: …

On the day appointed a great crowd gathered on Mount Carmel (v. 20). Mount Carmel, which was agreed on by Ahab, was a fitting location since it lay between Israel and Phoenicia, the lands of the Gods in question. Also Mount Carmel was regarded by the Phoenicians as the sacred d …

When two people had a dispute they could not settle by themselves they could bring it before the judges who would determine who was guilty. The guilty person was to then be beaten in front of the presiding judge with 40 lashes of the whip…

Now that the walls and gates of Jerusalem were restored, it was important that the Jews live in their capital city and make the population grow. For one thing, people were needed to protect the city; for they never knew when the enemy might decide to attack. It may have been safe …

A religious person usually feels that he has a special standing before God, not only because of his intellectual assent to certain beliefs, but also because he keeps the ordinances, the rites, and the rituals of that religion. Paul shows in this passage that mere rituals will gain no favor in God’s …